Bautista says wife's claims stem from marital issues: May iba na siyang minamahal

Commission on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista said his wife's claims about his alleged ill-gotten wealth may stem from their marital problems.

Bautista made the pronouncement in an interview on "Unang Hirit" on Monday after his wife Patricia submitted an affidavit to the NBI saying her husband allegedly has almost P1 billion ill-gotten wealth.

"Matagal na po kaming may problemang mag-asawa na ngayon ay binabahiran ng pulitika," Bautista said. "Kaya nga po kami may problema, nung 2013 pa, meron na po siya sigurong ibang minamahal."

He added that these claims may be motivated by money.

"I tried to save the marriage dahil bata pa po 'yung aming mga anak. At kami po ay nag-counseling at lahat pero talagang desidido na yata talaga siyang humiwalay," Bautista said.

"Nakikita niyo po, pera lang ito dahil pataas nang pataas po 'yung kanyang hinihingi na pera at lahat po 'yan ay nakadokumento at meron po tayong testigong ihaharap," he continued. "Ito po ay isang kaso ng pangingikil at panggigipit."

Bautista said his wife obtained these documents around November 2016 after she withdrew $117,000 from their joint bank account and employed armed men to have him barred from entering their home.

"Nung ako po ay nasa Amerika, bigla pong nag-withdraw ang aking misis ng $117,000 at P250,000 sa aming joint account at inilipat sa kanyang account," he recalled.

"Ako po ay pinagbawalang umuwi sa aking sariling pamamahay. In fact, naglagay po sila ng mga goons, armed goons po dun sa aming condo unit para hindi po ako makapasok," Bautista continued.

He was eventually allowed to enter his own home but found his cabinets plundered of sensitive documents which were supposedly tampered with and used as a basis for his alleged unexplained wealth.

"After two hours, nung ako po ay nakapasok, nakita ko po na ang akin pong locked cabinets ay binuksan at may mga dokumento na pag-aari ko po at pag-aari ng aking pamilya na ninakaw at later on dinoktor tapos dun gumawa ng mga imbento," Bautista said.

"Sa susunod na araw po, meron kaming common friend na sinabi, 'O ang pag-aari mo daw ay P2 billion.' Kaya't ang hinihingi po nila ay P1 billion plus 'yung dalawang unit sa Pacific [Plaza Towers]. Sabi ko po sa kanila kung ako po ay merong P2 billion ay sa kanila na dahil hindi po 'yan totoo," he added.

Bautista has since met with Duterte and the Inquirer to provide counter-documents and his own account of the events.

Their family, including her side, also supposedly remains supportive of his actions while Duterte gave the couple advice in their private meeting.

"Kasama ko po ang buong pamilyang Bautista at ng kanyang pamilya, ang Cruz-Vazquez, sa labang ito at ipapakita po namin na ito po ay isang kaso ng pangingikil at panggigipit," Bautista said. —Rie Takumi/JST, GMA News